Donald Trump says "bomb" went off in New York before official confirmation

During a speech in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Saturday night, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump responded to news of an explosion in New York's Chelsea district that wounded at least 29 people by telling his supporters, "Just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows exactly what's going on."

"But boy, we are living in a time — we better get very tough, folks," he added, reported the Washington Post. "We better get very, very tough. We'll find out. It's a terrible thing that's going on in our world, in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant. ... We'll see what it is. We'll see what it is."

Donald Trump tells crowd at Colorado Springs rally that a "bomb went off in New York." Unclear what caused explosion https://t.co/1o0SNklnwR

Trump made the statement hours before an official press conference during which NYC officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O'Neill stated authorities believed the explosion was "intentional" and not the result of a gas explosion. Before that press conference, NYC authorities had made limited information available to the public.

Trump took the stage roughly 30 minutes after the explosion occurred.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond wrote the Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment on how Trump was briefed on the incident, or whether he had been given access to privileged information on the explosion by authorities. As the report noted, "Typically, national political figures use caution when describing unfolding investigations and law enforcement actions."

While some on Twitter criticized Trump's rush to judgment, others cautioned the event may ultimately make him seem more prescient to voters.

Explosions are not the same thing as bombs. At the time Trump made his claim, no confirmation of a bomb. https://t.co/PQV9DFdAIz

Has Trump congratulated himself on the IED bomb yet?

Trump yells "bomb!" in crowded theater. https://t.co/CA24kRPBX3

Trump said a bomb went off and it turned out a bomb went off. Drop this line of attack against him, you look foolish.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton similarly described the incident as a "bombing," reported ABC News' Liz Kreutz, though she clarified that she had been "briefed" on the incident — and her statement came hours later.

Hillary Clinton, on her campaign plane, responds to explosion in NYC https://t.co/4tfyUE2vNc